The present invention relates to a tiltable gameboard surface to be used for a ball, such as a marble, and manipulatable through indirect means. The present tiltable surface will be adapted to have openings therein for the ball to enter. Preferably, the openings may be partially blocked by a movable means so that the ball or balls may be maintained on the surface. Games which may be played on the tiltable surface are either conventional games, such as Tic Tac Toe, or newly devised games of skill to be used with a tiltable surface.
The game surface is tiltable by manipulation of levers, so that in effect the surface is tiltable to almost any angle. This is easily achieved by the use of four levers, which are described hereinafter. The device of the present invention may be equipped with one set of levers, however, preferably there are two sets of levers, which perform duplicate functions respectively from either side of the device. Thereby allowing the game to be played by two individuals without the need for rotating the game device or movement of the individuals playing the game. In any event, the game may be played by one individual or by any number of additional individuals, either by using one group of control levers or by using the two sides of the control levers, either rotationally or otherwise.
It is the object of the game, to take a conventional game such as Tic Tac Toe which requires some mental skill to be played successfully, and to add to that skill the manipulative skill in tilting the surface of the board. Although one may have a predetermined idea or notion of where to put a particular ball in order to win a game or to block an opponent, the physical manipulation adds an extra element of chance and skill to the game of Tic Tac Toe.
There are a large number of game devices which have tiltable surfaces. These may be divided into two classes for convenience, those which are similar to the present device, in that the tilt surfaces are manipulated indirectly and which are represented by such U.S. Patents as Nos.: 2,562,126; 3,384,374; 3,643,352; and 3,787,055; and those wherein the gameboard is manipulated by direct hand tilting thereof, as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,788,974; 3,008,716; 3,236,522; and 3,690,663.
Although the prior art patents achieve the same result, i.e., tilting of the gameboard surface, their manner of operation is for the most part very different from the present invention. The present game device is unique in that there are strategically arranged levers which are manipulated either individually or in union or sequence by the fingers of one or both hands of the player, so that the gameboard is in effect played much as one plays a piano. Operation of the game gives one much the same feeling as being a master of any keyboard in manipulating the game surface so as to achieve the desired result. Although the ultimate aim of the game is to develop a high degree of precision in manipulation of the game surface by slight and delicate pressure on the levers, even small children can quite successfully play this game, since there is an element of chance and even a skilled manipulator can fail to attain the positioning of the ball in the appropriate opening, or within a specified time.
The device is designed to be operable even on a moving vehicle such as an automobile or airplane or sea vessel.
Unlike many games of this type, the manner in which the surface is tilted can require a high degree of skill and tends to interest one much as skill games such as billiards and golf which are all basically simple, however difficult in application. In the following summary and description the game will be described in regard to a particular, highly refined embodiment, however it should be appreciated that there are a number of modifications which are within the conception of the invention, and which are readily apparent to one after reviewing the drawings and specification. For example the present invention will be described in regard to a playing surface within a cylindrical container. Although this is preferred it is readily apparent that a rectangular, square, triangular or other shape of playing surface could just as easily be employed. For these various shapes, excluding the triangle, the four lever arrangement to be described would be employed. However for the triangular playing surface only a three lever arrangement need be employed, which would be manipulated by the fingers of one hand, in the same manner as to be described hereinafter, with one lever each controlling a point of the triangle. Other obvious modifications which are within the scope of the present invention include the arrangement of the openings on the game surface. As shown in the drawings and used to describe the present mechanism, an arrangement suitable for playing Tic Tac Toe is provided. However the game surface could be arranged with random holes placed thereon and barriers on the surface, with various point indications for various openings. In fact it is within the purview of the present invention to have a removable game surface wherein a number of games could be played thereon using the device by changing the surface. Other refinements depicted in the drawings, which are not necessary, are shooting devices for placing the game ball onto the surface (it is readily appreciated that the game ball could merely be placed at a neutral portion of the surface by hand, and the manipulation begun at that point. Another refinement is the use of leveling devices, which although useful would not be necessary, provided the same starting point was used by each of the players.